Ruby Red Grapefruit Tree Citrus x paradise 'Ruby Red'

1. Planting: For your Ruby Red, choose a location with well-drained soil and plenty of sunlight - about 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day.

When you're ready to plant, select a container that's about twice the width of the shipped container and one with drainage holes. From there, fill your pot halfway with soil, place your tree, and then backfill the rest with soil, leaving about one or two inches at the top. Finally, water your plant to settle the roots.

2. Watering: Be sure to water your tree regularly for its first year once each week and more frequently during the hot season and periods of extended drought.

After the first year, the tree’s roots will become a bit more established and you can reduce watering to once every two weeks.

A good way to indicate when you need to water is by using your index finger. Stick it into the pot and feel around for moisture - if there is still some present in the soil, hold off on watering. If it feels like it is drying out on the top couple inches, water just enough until you see it escaping the drainage holes and stop.

3. Fertilizing: Container-grown Ruby Red Trees will require a well-balanced fertilizer formula specialized for growing citrus, such as the one included in our Citrus Care Kit. This formula already contains all of the micronutrients that the tree will need. Feed the trees regularly, but be sure to follow the directions on the fertilizer’s packaging.

The typical time frame for container-grown citrus is to start in February and provide fertilizer once every 4 to 6 weeks until September.

4. Pruning: Remove suckers as they appear by pinching them off of the tree or using a sterilized pair of cutters to remove them. You can easily sterilize your tool(s) by wiping them with a household rubbing alcohol. Prune off any dead or damaged branches in the early spring after the threat of frosts has passed.

5. Pollination: Our Ruby Red Grapefruit Trees are self-fertile, but you can pollinate your indoor trees by hand using a small, dry, fine-tipped paintbrush. Swirl the brush around the center of each bloom and collect the pollen on the brush. Go to the next bloom and repeat the process until every bloom has been treated, and repeat the process daily. Don’t wash the paintbrush until after the blooms have been pollinated. The blooms will fall and the fruit will begin to form.